Flight Attendants at American Airlines will not be allowed to go on strike over the busy Christmas holidays and must continue negotiations with the Fort Worth-based airline in an attempt to break a deadlock in stalled contract talks, the National Mediation Board has ruled.
The independent government agency has told the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), which represents crew members at American Airlines, that they will not be allowed to enter a 30-day cooling-off period, which would then allow them to go on strike.
The union had formally requested permission to enter into the cooling-off period just over a week ago after disagreeing with the airline over a proposed pay rise. A decision from the NMB hadn’t, however, been expected so soon.
Julie Hedrick, president of APFA, slammed the ruling, saying in a memo to her members: “We strongly disagree with this decision… The Railway Labor Act (RLA) is supposed to protect us, yet here we are, fighting tooth and nail for what we rightfully deserve.”
Hedrick says American Airlines has been “stonewalling” the union in pay negotiations and has not responded to its proposals.
“American Airlines management thinks they can evade the issue, but they are mistaken,” Hedrick said. “For far too long, airline management has exploited workers, funnelling profits into their own pockets.”
The industrial rights of flight attendants are protected by managed under the Railway Labor Act, but Hedrick claims this law has “been twisted into a tool for corporate greed.”
In the last 20 years, the NMB has only released airline workers on two occasions to go on strike, although Hedrick says her union will again request a release to strike on December 14 if American Airlines fails to provide a ‘realistic’ pay proposal during a federally mediated negotiating session.
American Airlines has proposed an 11% pay rise spread over a four year contract which would bring the pay levels of flight attendants at the airline in line with their peers at Delta.
The union has, however, demanded a pay rise closer to 50% over the same contract length.
This idiots are used to delays so this should be no big deal. I wish I could get an 11 percent raise. These people have no sense…and you see it every time you fly. Fire them all. They already hiring anybody off the street so should be easy to keep doing that.
50% pay raise over 4 years? I get that FAs have a tough job day to day, tough family life being out of reach for extended periods, etc… but there are many other professions with similar if not significantly worse conditions. Which one gets that type of contractual increment?
The AA executive team and board should be gutted but if this is how the AA FAs are negotiating in good faith, I’m withdrawing support for them and will have zero sympathies if they are fired en masse.